Yay! YEEHAW, it's Shootin' Time

[Innula Zenovka]

I largely agree. I was of course making broader points than any one case. I follow this kind of stuff a lot but admittedly, am not a lawyer.




I get the sentiment. And there are certainly cases where it is clear that not all the evidence is covered on the news. I think it it rational to defer to the trial's outcome on cases like that.

...but we also know there are some cases where the whole thing was on video or a few key details were known that make the verdict a bit strange. For example, I've heard of a few cases in Texas in particular where someone steals something, and then gets shot in the back while fleeing the scene. The victim was a thief, but it clearly wasn't self defense.

All I can say is that, whenever I've been involved in a case that's been reported in the media, the report has always crammed several hours of evidence into a few hundred words of text or a few minutes of broadcast. Necessarily, there's always a whole lot left out. Indeed, while obviously I don't know what made the jury decide the way they did, the reports have often missed the pieces of evidence I think the jury must have found most persuasive.

As to shooting thieves who are fleeing the scene, apparently that's perfectly legal in Texas so long as it happens during the hours of darkness

Texas Penal Code Section 9.421 states a person can use deadly force to protect tangible, movable property from another’s imminent commission of theft during the nighttime or to prevent another who is fleeing immediately after committing theft during the nighttime and is escaping with property if the person reasonably believes the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means; or that a use of force other than deadly force to recover the property would expose them to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

Can I Use Deadly Force To Protect Property

What is the Texas law on defense of property? Learn the answer to the question: can I use deadly force to protect property

www.walkertaylorlaw.com

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

As to shooting thieves who are fleeing the scene, apparently that's perfectly legal in Texas so long as it happens during the hours of darkness

huh... I didn't think that was legal. I'm NOT sure if the case I was thinking of was at night or not... I'll try to find it later.